Today Mashable brings news that Facebook is due to give its photos feature a big upgrade with a new feature that automatically suggests who users should tag in photos based on facial recognition technology.

The feature is called ‘Tag Suggestions’ and Facebook says it works like this…

“When you or a friend upload new photos, we use face recognition software—similar to that found in many photo editing tools—to match your new photos to other photos you’re tagged in. We group similar photos together and, whenever possible, suggest the name of the friend in the photos.”

“While tags are an essential tool for sharing important moments, many of you have said tagging photos can be a chore. (Like that time you had to tag your cousin and her fiancé over and over and over again in 64 different pictures of their engagement party, and then go back and tag the guests.)”

Here’s how the new feature looks;

Of course, like all things Facebook there are some privacy concerns. Facebook is pre-emptively addressing these concerns by allowing you to disable suggested tags in your Privacy Settings. Just click “Customise Settings” and “Suggest photos of me to friends.” Your name will no longer be suggested in photo tags, though friends can still tag you manually.

Facebook will be rolling out Tag Suggestions to US users over the next few weeks.

What do you think of this feature? A handy time saving initiative or yet another opportunity for Facebook to violate your privacy?

Rumour has it that by 2012, Facebook will have the technology that will actually allow it to steal your DNA via your keyboard. A joke, of course, but doesn’t it feel like it’s heading in that direction?